1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a reeling device for reeling (i.e. winding) a traveling web onto a tube, or core, and into a plurality of reels, or wound web rolls. More particularly, this invention relates to a reeling device where the tube is supported at each end in a carriage laterally movable on a pair of spaced, parallel, substantially horizontally disposed guides, or rails. The carriage and rails are, in turn, mounted on a support structure which is pivotable such as to bring a tube and the web roll wound thereon selectively into and out of nipping engagement with a backing roll, which is substantially horizontally mounted relative to the tube. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a drive apparatus which utilizes a looped belt for engaging a wheel-like drive for the tube to provide torque drive to the tube continuously as the diameter of the reel increases and the reel is moved along the rails while maintaining nipping engagement with the backing roll.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such reeling devices are used with reel-cutting machines especially. Whereas, with reel-cutting machines of the transportation roller type, where the reel to be reeled rests with its own weight on one or two rotating transporting rollers, so that the dead weight of the reel to be reeled ensures that the contact pressure necessary for the slip-free transmission of torque from the transportation roller(s) to the reel to be reeled is sufficient, care must be taken with reel-cutting machines of the backing roll type--regardless of whether only the backing roll, or the backing roll and the winding tubes of the reels to be reeled, are driven in the direction of rotation--to ensure that there is sufficient contact pressure between the reel to be reeled and the backing roll.
To do this, two methods are known: First, either the supporting arms or the supporting structures are pivotably secured so that the pivoting movement of these supporting arms or supporting structure follows the change in diameter of the reel during the reeling process. In this case, the supporting arms or supporting structure are swiveled by means of a hydraulic cylinder each, it being possible for the contact pressure to be applied to the backing roll by way of the hydraulic cylinder. The other possibility of applying the contact pressure consists of maintaining the supporting arms or supporting structures in the same position throughout the whole reeling cycle and arranging the clamping head for the winding tubes of the reels to be reeled on one carriage each, which carriage can move towards or away from the backing roll in a guide fitted to the supporting arm or the supporting structure, and applying a (contact) pressure that acts in the direction of the backing roll using a lever arm and a hydraulic cylinder that pivots the lever arm.
Although the reeling devices according to the generic section can be used in many different types of machines, particularly substantial advantages can be gained from their use in reel-cutting machines of the backing roll type. In the case of these reel-cutting machines, the tubes or roll, on which the part-webs produced by lengthwise cutting are reeled, laterally abut one or two backing rolls that are arranged parallel to one another, preferably adjacent to one another. Due to the necessary space required in the direction of the axis of the backing roll for the supporting arms of the backing rolls, the part-webs immediately adjacent to one another are reeled on opposite sides, respectively, as regards the backing rolls. With such reel-cutting machines, the ability to also reel reels with the smallest possible web width is desirable. Therefore, if several reeling devices are provided on at least one of the sides of the backing rolls (i.e. several part-web reels are to be reeled), there is very little space available for the supporting arms or supporting structures at times. This requirement can be met relatively simply, if the rotating drive for the reeling process is effected by driving the backing rolls and the drive torque transmitted friction-tight to the reel to be reeled pressed lightly against the backing roll.
On the other hand, those arrangements where each clamping head has its own rotating drive take up more space, i.e. the torque acts in the center of the reel to be reeled (center winding). In such cases, in order to achieve the smallest possible width of the supporting arms or supporting structures (looking in the direction of the backing roll axis), either hydraulic motors or electric motors are fitted such that their drive shafts are at right angles to the reeling shaft. In this way, the overall length of the drive motors looking in the direction of the axis can be comparatively large without the supporting arms or supporting structures becoming excessively long. The use is specially recommended of the motor housing of an electric motor as part of the supporting arm. Such apparatus is shown in DE 38 00 703 A1. This known arrangement, therefore, takes into account an angular gear between the motor shaft and the reeling shaft axis.